The Final Frontier (Deleted Scene)
by Cassie Bones
Summary: I couldn't get this little imaginary scene out of my head so y'all reek the benefits. Takes place after the whole Creaver mask fiasco where Kate and Rick are laying in bed, in the afterglow, and a couple of issues are brought up that they didn't go into detail about during the episode. This is basically how I would resolve them. Rate T for mentions of nudity.


**Hello there! This here is my second Castle Fic and it's only going to be a one-shot and only because I've re-watched this episode three times already and this little deleted scene won't get out of my head, so I thought I'd write about it and share it with the wonderful Castle Fandom (YAY!) lolz! Anyway, please enjoy this deleted 'Final Frontier' scene!**

**The Final Frontier (Deleted Scene)**

Castle and Beckett lay snuggled up together on his bed. Beckett had long since shed the Lieutenant Chloe attire (and the Creaver mask, much to Castle's relief) and lured him out of the bathroom with promises that she wasn't wearing the mask anymore and was, in fact, completely naked, except for the heels.

"Are you sure?" Castle had asked from behind the bathroom door, where he huddled with his Boba Fett, like a coward.

"Positive," Kate assured him, rolling her eyes, "come out and check if you don't believe me."

Slowly, the door had inched open, revealing a pair of wide, terrified blue eyes, which darted around as if a real-life Creaver were about to jump out at him. But when all Castle saw was his girlfriend standing at the edge of his bed, indeed naked (except for the tantalizing heels she was wearing) his eyes darkened and he finally stepped all the way out, practically tackling Kate to the bed.

Now, there they were, nearly three hours later, his arm around her waist and hers slung over his chest, her cheek resting right above his heart, listening to the steady rhythm of his heart. Kate loved these afterglow moments almost as much as she loved the moments that brought them on.

She loved being able to finally snuggle up with the man she'd wanted for the last four years. She loved being able to lay sweet kisses on his chest and neck, which he gladly reciprocated to her forehead and face. She loved the feeling of their bare skin touching, warming her entire body beneath the single sheet he often covered them with. And she especially loved the arm he slung around her, keeping their bodies together, as if he never wanted to let her go.

Not that she was planning on going anywhere soon; not without a fight at least. And the way he practically purred like a sated kitten when they were like this (or touching in any way, really) told her that he wouldn't put up much of a fight. Kate smiled at the thought and curled deeper into his side. She could practically feel Castle smile wider as his fingers delved into her hair, stroking the soft curls and kissing the top of her head. That was another thing she loved about this man.

Suddenly, though, Kate froze, remembering something from earlier; something that they'd spoken of so casually before.

"Rick?" she said, softly, into his chest.

Castle smiled; he loved it when she called him Rick. She did it so rarely-only in moments of complete contentment (though she used his last name when they made love) or when she was trying to be serious. The latter usually occurred at work, so he was sure she was being sweet right now.

"Hmm?" he asked, still stroking her head, not noticing her still posture.

"Do you really want more kids?" she asked her voice so low he almost didn't hear the question. Almost.

Rick's hand froze in her hair, as did his heart in his chest.

What brought on this question? He thought to himself, then he remembered; they had spoken briefly about it when he'd worried that that damn ray-thingy had made him infertile. She'd asked if he wanted more kids and he told her he wanted to have the option.

Was she giving him the option? They've only been dating a few months! But, then again, he was so certain that she'd be his last love (his only _true_ love if he was being honest with himself. The subject would have come around sooner or later. But why did it have to right now?

"Rick?" Kate asked, her head leaving his chest as she looked up at him, trying to gauge his reaction. "Are you okay?" she was worried now, that she'd scared him off. "I'm sorry if I took you off-guard; we don't have to talk about this now, I just-"

"No, no," Castle said, soothingly, "it's okay. I just…I completely forgot about that." He chuckled. "I should've known I couldn't just sneak that by you. The whole comment about being infertile, I mean."

Kate smiled and snuggled back into him. "I was the one who mentioned having more kids," she said. They were silent another moment, then, "So…_do _you want more? Kids, I mean?"

Castle thought about it a moment; about a baby with his blue eyes, or her _breathtaking _green ones, but with her chesnut hair. It didn't matter if the baby were male or female; he'd love it either way. Although it would be nice to have a son. Somebody to play football with, although any kid with Kate's athletic genes would probably kick the crap out of him at any sport they tried playing together. A little girl might be nice, too. Like Alexis, only with brown hair like Kate's, instead of red. He'd be wrapped around her little finger, naturally, like he was with Alexis, and he would try to spoil her rotten, like he had with Alexis. Although Alexis had admonished him for trying to buy her too many things as a child (he still had no idea where his daughter got that; Lord knows she didn't get if from him or her mother, or from _his_ mother). Also, Kate would kill him if he tried to spoil their kid.

Heh. He liked the sound of that; not the Kate killing him part but the 'their kid' part. Yeah, he _really_ liked the sound of that.

He wondered if she liked it, too.

"I wouldn't be opposed to it," he said, "having kids, I mean. You?" He tried to sound casual about it but Beckett's ear was right next to his heart; she knew how nervous he was about her response. She smiled.

"Kids would be nice," she said. "Although, I have to finish taking care of the big kid I have now."

Castle snorted and tickled her waist, making her squirm. When he stopped, she settled once again, against him, melting into his embrace.

"You really wouldn't mind having more kids?" she asked. "I mean, you already have Alexis."

Castle smiled. "Yeah, and I love her; she's the perfect child, _literally_. That kid used to force _me_ to eat my veggies."

Kate laughed. "I can just imagine her using the choo-choo train technique on you," she teased.

"Actually, it was the airplane," Castle retorted, indignantly, making Kate laugh even harder, "but my point is, I loved raising Alexis and I love the way she turned out, but I would have loved it even more if I'd had someone there with me, somebody to handle all the girl stuff, like boys and those girl bullies that made fun of her for things I could never understand, and take her shopping for new clothes, because _God_ _knows_ I am useless at knowing with blouse goes with which skirt!" Kate snorted, shaking her head. "But, in all seriousness, if I had to do it all over again, the only thing I would change is having somebody there with me to help raise her. Even if it had been Meredith." He shuddered at the thought of his ex-wife. "But I know that if I were to have another child, Kate, the only person I would want right there next to me would be you. So, yes, if it were you giving birth to my child, I would want to have another one." He kissed her forehead at that, and waited with bated breath for her to respond.

Kate could feel the tears filling her eyes as she considered his response. He wanted more kids. But not only that; he wanted more kids with _her_, only her. She's always wanted to have children when she was younger, before her mother died. But then, afterwards, she'd been too depressed to even _think_ about it. She couldn't be a mother to a child, knowing that she could be taken away from them, leaving them as depressed as she had felt when her own had been murdered. And what's more, she wouldn't know the first thing about being a mother, because her own wouldn't be there to help her.

But now…now she had Richard Castle; the man whose books had gotten her through her mother's death; the man who'd been by her side nearly every single day for the last _four years_; the man who'd saved her life (or so he claims) more times than she'd saved his, even though she was the one with the badge and the gun; the man who loved her with all his heart and has proven it to her at every possible second, even before they'd gotten together.

Knowing that she had such a man in her life, as well as her many other friends who'd become like a family to her, Kate was sure in her response.

"I would love nothing more," she said, smiling up at him, "than to raise our children _together_, Rick." She kissed his jaw. "But maybe not for a while; I want to just savor being together for a little while longer."

"But eventually?" Castle asked, his heart jumping in his chest.

Kate grinned against his chest. "Maybe a year or two, if you can wait that long…"

Castle smiled. "I'll try my best," he said, kissing her forehead again and wrapping his arms around her waist.

"That's all I ask," Kate teased, kissing his chest.

They were silent for a while longer and Kate was nearly asleep when she heard Castle's whispered question.

"Hey, Kate?" he asked, sounding almost _nervous_.

"What is it, Castle?" she asked, groggily.

"You _would_ still be attracted to me if I woke up bald tomorrow….right?" he asked, cautiously.

Kate groaned. "Not this again," she growled into his chest before wriggling out of his embrace and kneeling next to him, looking him straight in the eyes. "Richard Alexander Rodgers or Castle or whatever, I would still be attracted to you if you looked like Dr. Manhattan, as I've said earlier. I would still be attracted you if your face was disfigured in a horrible accident. I would _most definitely _still be attracted to you if you went bald. I might not like the fact that I can't run my hands through your hair anymore and I might miss the cute way it sometimes hangs in front of your eyes, but I would get over it. You know why? Because I didn't fall in love with your hair; I fell in love with _you_. I fell in love with your annoying habits, your childish quirks, your cocky attitude, your boyish smile, those beautiful blue eyes that seem to pierce right through me sometimes…I also fell in love with your fatherly side and how much you care for Alexis and Martha, your family. I fell in love with the man who has risked his life for me, killed for me, and who I know would do anything and everything to prove how much he loves me. Do I like your hair? Of course I do; it's a good look for you," Castle chuckled, "but would I break up with you because some freak accident caused you to lose it all? No. Because I'm not in love with the way you look; I in love with you, _all_ of you. And if your hair went, I would still be right here, ready with a toupee." Castle laughed out loud and grabbed her around the waist, cupping her cheek and bringing her lips down to meet his in a passionate kiss, rolling them so that they were on their sides, their lips softly stroking each other.

When he pulled back, he was looking deep into her eyes. "I love you so much," he whispered, so lovingly it brought tears to her eyes.

"I love you, too," Kate whispered back, bringing their lips back together.

They fell asleep like that, wrapped up in each other's embrace, lips brushing, and warmth surrounding them. The issue of children could wait for another day, now that they knew it was _definitely_ going to happen someday; tonight, the only person either cared about was the one currently wrapped in their arms.

And that was more than enough for right now.

**REVIEWS please!**


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